Internal combustion engines (ICEs) commonly use variable camshaft timing to control the relative angular position of a camshaft relative to the crankshaft. Variable camshaft timing is accomplished using camshaft phasers that vary the angular position of the camshaft relative to the angular position of the crankshaft to advance, retard, or maintain the relative angular position between the camshaft and the crankshaft. The relative angular position may also be referred to as the “phase” between the camshaft and the crankshaft. The magnitude of the relative angular position difference between the camshaft and the crankshaft is mechanically limited within a particular angular range (also called the range of authority). And camshaft phasers often enforce these limits using mechanical stops located on a sprocket and on a camshaft.
The mechanical stops have been used on hydraulically-controlled camshaft phasers as well as electrically-controlled camshaft phasers with increasing frequency. However, some mechanical stops used in electrically-controlled camshaft phasers can cause binding. In particular, mechanical stops mounted on the sprocket and on the camshaft may cause the electrically-controlled camshaft phasers to bind occasionally. It would be helpful to configure mechanical stops in a way that reduces the electrically-controlled camshaft phaser chances of binding.